East Side Elderflower Cordial!

 Hi Folks!

I hope you're all well and enjoying the Sunshine ...what a difference a month makes!

You'll be pleased to know I'm keeping up the good work and haven't bought a thing to wear so far this year ....coming up to my 6th Month! I even visited the West End the other day and went into John Lewis to buy some skincare products. As I looked up from the ground floor to the first floor, I could see all the best dresses cleverly displayed at the edges to tempt you up there. I gotta say it was rather liberating to just  go in a department store and come out only with what I actually went in there for!

I promise there'll be more clothing related posts soon, I've got several projects on the go at the moment ...all of which are not quite finished ( I'm a devil for doing that).

This is a local drink for local people

In the meantime I thought I'd share this absolutely scrumptious recipe with you. It's the time of year when all the Elderflower trees are in blossom and I've got a few trees down at the back of my allotment. It's a really recognisable tree and as soon as you smell the beautiful frothy white flowers ...you know it's an Elderflower. The scent is intoxicating and June is the month when these gorgeous trees come into full bloom. It also grows on the ground by the side of streams and brooks ...it's literally everywhere!

So easy to recognise and the smell ...wow!

The only thing to remember is,  try not to  pick all the flowers from one tree, if you leave some flowers on the tree, then later on those flower sprays will become Elderberries and these can be made into a stunning Elderberry Wine. And I'll be having a go at that most definitely!

Elderflower tree

Ground Elder ....it's everywhere!

As you may know, usually Elderflower cordial is silly expensive to buy in the shops. It comes in a posh 'organic' looking bottle and costs a fortune relative to other cordials, this even though the trees are everywhere and it's native to England. It's really very easy to make. I freeze lots of it in small plastic water bottles so I can enjoy this taste of Summer all year round.


This recipe makes 2 litres (3 1/2 pints) ... don't be shocked by the amount of sugar .... that's a lot of cordial which will be diluted probably 1 to 10.




What you'll need


1.8kg (4lb) Sugar
1.8 litres (3 Pints) very hot water
25 Elderflower sprays
1 tbsp citric acid (available from brewers shops and online)
3 limes
1 lemon

1. Put the sugar into a preserving (or big) pan and pour on the hot water, stirring till all the sugar has dissolved. Cool for 20 minutes.

2. Meantime, shake the flower heads over the sink to remove any dust or insects then swish them gently in a bowl of cool water. strain and shake until semi-dry.

Freshly picked flowers ..wow they smell amazing!

Snip off the stalks

3. Using small sharp scissors, carefully snip off all the main stalks as as many of the medium ones as you have time to do, leaving only the floral sprigs.

4. Push the flowers down into the warm sugar syrup and add the citric acid. Stir gently.

5. Pare one-third of the thin outer rind from the fruit and add to the pan, then slice the semi-peeled fruit and add that too.

Pare some of the Lemon and Lime rind

6. Stir everything together, cover tightly with cling film and keep it in a cool, dark place for 24 hours.

It looks like a trifle!

7. Strain through muslin into a clean pan and bottle!

Strain the liquid out

This cordial needs to be drunk quite quickly as it will ferment if left too long, so remember to freeze a load of it ...taking care not to fill the bottle completely as the liquid will expand when frozen.

I made this the other day and look how many bottles I got! Easily enough to last the whole summer.

Some for drinking now, some for freezing and some for giving as a pressie!

* Drink with Sparkling water as well as still

* Add peeled, thickly grated root ginger (2 1/2 inch) at the same stage you dissolve the sugar to add a peppery note to the cordial.

* Combine with a chilled dry sparkling wine such as Cava for a super tasty aperitif.

*Do as the Hubster did the other night and add to a Vodka Martini for a delicious twist or make Elderflower cocktails with cthe cordial and gin or vodka, plus a splash of lemon or lime juice and a sprig of lightly  bruised mint.

* You could make ice cubes to drop into drinks or use the diluted cordial to make lovely refreshing ice lollies for the freezer.

Get your posh glasses out and quaff with delight!

Now off you go, while the weather is so beautiful and have a go. It's really really easy and so tasty, much nicer than the shop bought cordial.

I'll be back soon with more Home made goodies!

Bye for now

Leona X